Molasses Spice Cookies with Orange Essence
From conner909 16 years ago
- 11 minutes to make
- Serves 0
This spicy cookie evokes memories of grandma in her full apron, baking in her big kitchen and the aroma wafting throughout the house! This recipe yields approx. 2 dozen cookies, and I invariably double it. It goes to pot lucks, card parties and cookie exchanges! Read more This recipe courtesy of my favorite food magazine, Cook's Illustrated. See less
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces) shopping list
- 3 teaspoons grated orange zest shopping list
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces) shopping list
- 1 teaspoon baking soda shopping list
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon shopping list
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger shopping list
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves shopping list
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice shopping list
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper shopping list
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt shopping list
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), shopping list
- softened but still cool shopping list
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces) shopping list
- 1 large egg yolk shopping list
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract shopping list
- 1/2 cup molasses (about 6 ounces), light or dark shopping list
How to make it
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In workbowl of food processor, process 2/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons orange zest until pale orange, about 10 seconds; transfer sugar to 8- or 9-inch cake pan and set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in medium bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.
- In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and 1 teaspoon grated orange zest with brown sugar and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce speed to medium-low and add yolk and vanilla; increase speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low and add molasses; beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once with rubber spatula.
- Reduce speed to lowest setting; add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl down once.
- Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Dough will be soft.
- (At this point, you can chill the dough if you wish.)
- Using tablespoon measure, scoop heaping tablespoon of dough and roll between palms into 1 1/2-inch ball; drop ball into cake pan with sugar and repeat to form about 4 balls.
- Toss balls in orange sugar to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are browned, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), about 11 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.
- Do not overbake.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature and serve.
- (Can be stored at room temperature in airtight container or zipper-lock plastic bag up to 5 days.)
- Makes 24 cookies
The Rating
Reviewed by 14 people-
Oh my heavens! This is the best Molasses cookie I've ever had!! Yummy!! The baking directions are spot on too. I can see these being on my Christmas cookie platter every year for now on! :) More info here: more
Cosmicmother
in Western loved it
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Unbelievably my husband said he wanted orange cookies with a molasses taste to them. He didn't know such a recipe existed, nor did I. This is just the ticket. I'll take pictures to show you how they turn out when I make them this week.
otterpond
in Windermere loved it
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These Molasses Spice Cookies With Orange Essence/saved cookies are perfect. The orange sugar used to roll the cookie dough scents the cook...more
otterpond
in Windermere loved it
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